"What do you mean they're not back yet?" The frazzled blonde yelled to her boss as she dug her laptop out of her go-bag. "I thought everything was under control. That's why I came back to the hotel to get some sleep. You told me everything was done and we were leaving tonight." As she spoke, Garcia quickly started up her computer and logged on to the program that would let her locate JJ's and Rossi's phones. "I realize that." The frustrated agent sighed, his left hand running in and out of his short, dark hair. "The case is solved, Garcia. We have no reason to believe that this is case related. I'm just worried that they may have had car trouble of some kind. Clearly they have phone trouble. Of course, with these mountains the way that they are, maybe they've hit a 'dead zone'. That's why I need your assistance."
"With all due respect, your bossness, please refrain from the use of the phrase 'dead zone'. Too many bad vibes and I don't want any dangerous karma around me right now." "Got it." The agent said with the hint of a smile on his lips. Hotch, while still trying to squelch the bad feeling he had in the pit of his stomach, was glad that he had someone else helping him in what, he hoped, was just a case of bad reception and a slow driver.
While David Rossi would certainly have taken offense to his friend thinking that he was a slow driver he would have just as easily forgiven him if he knew that he and Garcia were currently working to find them. Rossi was doing his best to comfort a still frantic JJ while formulating a plan in his mind that would free them from the clutches of a mad man, get them medical treatment, notify their team, and be home by breakfast. To say that he was beginning to feel desperate would be an understatement. "Alright, Bella, I need you to do me a favor. This guy, whoever he is, doesn't suspect anything from us. For all we know he still thinks you're knocked out and that I think he's nothing more than a do-gooder who stopped to help. So, for right now, I plan to keep it that way. I want you to just stay here." Rossi watched JJ for understanding, close enough to her face that "Jason" couldn't see her and would still think that she was out. While he was hoping to get some form of agreement from her, he knew that she would more likely try to argue. He wasn't disappointed.
"No, David!" she whispered. "You don't understand. He's crazy. You don't know what he's capable of." JJ's eyes turned a darker shade of blue when she was emotional and right now, they were cobalt. David had his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her and keep her from moving at the same time. "Listen, honey, right now, the ONLY thing going for us is the element of surprise. In case you've forgotten, we are out in the middle of freakin' nowhere, with no hope of help anytime soon. I'm not trying to frighten you any more than you already are but we need to be smart about this. I've got to move around to try to find some signal so that I can send a message to the team. If you are awake you won't be able to hide the fact that you recognize him. I'll go talk to him, make conversation while we wait for help. At the moment, this is all we've got."
Nodding in agreement, JJ looked into his eyes, seeing his concern for her in those deep, brown orbs. She also found something she had always hoped for – love. Knowing that she needed to put her life in his hands once again, as they had all done with each other a million times before, she just said, "OK."
Taking a deep breath, Rossi bent down, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead and straightened the blanket that will still covering her form, wishing it offered more protection for her than just from the cold. "Say a little prayer for us," he said softly as he made to stand up. "I will," she whispered, and then he heard the unmistakable phrase, "I love you." Bending to look back down at her he saw tears starting to form from her closed eyes. "I love you too, honey. And when I get you home I'm going to hold you tight until you believe it."
Standing up, David looked down one last time at the blonde beauty lying at his feet. She was still, appearing to be calmly sleeping. However, after having spent these last several hours with her, David felt as if he now knew her breathing pattern as well as his own. She was terrified. If he hadn't known it before he knew it now without a shadow of a doubt. He wasn't just fighting for their lives; he was fighting for their love.
Slowly, the tall agent walked back to the truck, not once giving in to his heart's desire to turn around and check on JJ. Trying as hard as he could to appear calm and natural to the sandy haired man in front of him, David casually walked back to the truck, holding his open cell phone unassumingly in his left hand, down and slightly away from his leg. His thumb hovered over the send button, periodically pressing and repressing every time he heard the error message softly beeping from the phone. "Jason" was currently still looking in the back of the truck. Dave spoke first. "Any luck with the phone or water?" he asked, stopping several feet away from the truck.
The man in the flannel shirt slowly turned around, a small pistol in his right hand, pointed directly at the agent. "Sorry, Agent Rossi," he said in a thick southern drawl. "I'm 'fraid your luck just ran out."